


Touch

by double_negative



Category: Zero Escape (Video Games)
Genre: M/M, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-01-09
Packaged: 2019-02-13 22:27:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12993858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/double_negative/pseuds/double_negative
Summary: What if Light recognized him?





	Touch

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sure someone has thought of this before.  
> But well, I can't get the thought out of my mind.
> 
> Obviously, spoilers for Coffin End and True End of 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors, but I changed something up for it to be more personal.

When everyone disperces to search the cabins, Aoi stalls a little, hangs behind until everyone is gone into their respective rooms.

He wasn't sure he would get the chance, but now it's a perfect opportunity. Who would have thought Clover would leave Light to his own devices. Who on earth lets a blind man to conduct an investigation on his own? But when Aoi enters the room after Snake, he realises immidiately, why she's done that. Snake is more than capable to do it on his own, even deprived of eyesight he still seems more perceptive than any of the other eight, including Aoi himself.

No matter how quietly Aoi tries to enter the room, Snake immidiately turns around to face him.

"Who's that? Santa?", he doesn't look confused. It's almost like he expected something like this.

Aoi is done for. There goes his perfect opportunity for ambush. How could he think he can surprise Snake? Now he has to think of something, anything to get an upper hand, to get his chance back, to get closer.

"Yeah, that's me alright. We have to talk", he swallows thickly, his mind spinning, cycling through possible paths he couls take here, possible approaches to get the plan back on track.

"I thought so", Snake sounds almost amused, "It was just a matter of time".

He's unshakeable, isn't he? He was the only one to keep completely rational and cool through all of this, he's the only one to never show a shred of fear or even discomfort. It baffled Aoi. Snake was through this before, he must know just what is at stake, just what kind of horrible things might happen to him, but still, his expression is soft and calm, he seems as collected as ever.

"I've met you before, didn't I?", he asks and if he could see Aoi's face, Aoi would be completely screwed, because he was never one with the best poker face; his expression is crumbling, the suffocating feeling of guilt he felt from the day they started planning the Nonary Game with Akane and his sister decided to choose Light and Clover as participants. Santa couldn't even fathom the idea of subjecting someone who has been through a game like this to it again, the cruelty it would require... But Akane made her decision and everything was for her sake. Aoi pushes the guilt down, tries to sound normal, but words don't come out of his mouth, for the first time he finds himself speechless. Light remembers him. It's impossible.

"You have a very particular pattern to your footsteps. That's how I was able to tell it was you when you entered the room. But I thought of it before and it didn't make sense. Your presence feels like someone I used to know. Your voice is somewhat different than before, obviously, but your way of speech and cadence... I remember very well. You're Aoi, aren't you?". The smile on Snake's face is soft, barely there, but it's almost apologetic, like he already knows the truth, but expects Aoi to deny it.

It's impossible. It should have never happened. No single human should be able to recognize someone from such a long time ago, especially going just by their gait and manner of speech.

"I wonder what has made me so special that you'll remember me after all these years", Aoi muses. It's a confirmation of Snake's suspicions, a clear and simple one, some might say - a mistake on his part, but Santa has to reward this level of observation.

"You know, they say, some experiences you can never forget", the smile on Snake's face is gone, it's like that single sentence out of Aoi's mouth just sucked out all the life out of him. His posture slumps a little and he suddenly seems very tired. "Mostly traumatic experiences", he continues, his voice solemn. He sits himself on the edge of a cabin bed, motioning Aoi closer. "So what did you want to discuss?"

And Aoi moves closer. He has nothing to say, the words just aren't there, only feelings. Guilt, hopelessness, betrayal. He tries to collect himself, to calm his heart that feels like it's going to burst out of his chest. He shouldn't be here, he shouldn't be doing this, he screwed up, the whole plan is going out of the window, he should just do what he came here for and hope to all gods that Snake doesn't remember any more. Never once has he felt so scared or unsure in following his sister's design. "It doesn't seem real, doesn't it?", is all he could manage, because it's how he truly feels. This wasn't supposed to happen. No one accounted for this. And this single mistake can cost Akane her life.

Light looks a little bit bewildered at this sudden honesty. "What doesn't? The fact that we find ourselves in an exact same position in an exact same place after nine years or the fact that I would remember you for all this time?"

A nervous chuckle escapes Aoi's lips. "I guess both".

"I don't have an explanation for the first one, but the second one is easy. I remember you because you're hard to forget". Light's smile is back, so small and so somber, it hurts to look at.

"Why would that be?", the question on Aoi's mind is obvious, but as soon as the sound leaves his lips, he wishes he kept his mouth shut. Everything is falling apart, there's no need to make it worse.

If Light could see, his eyes would be meeting Aoi's now, but with his eyelids gently shut, the expression on Light's face when he turns to face Santa, now sitting on the other edge of a cabin bed, is strangely even more intimate. "That's because I liked you".

Aoi mind spins, he tries to remember, everything, anything that could have pointed to this, that could have given him any clue to that would happen, but all he remembers from the first Nonary Game is a blur, a blur unlike that of a dream, a nightmare he couldn't wake up from, everything shrouded in crushing despair, weighing onto his shoulders, spilling all around him in tears. Akane was dead, Akane was dead, Akane has died then, nothing else could have ever compared, nothing else had any meaning or value at all. He couldn't even remember clearly what other kids looked like, even Light, before he started to compile dossiers on each one of them at the behest of Akane's order to search for new participants. And still, even if he forgot Light, Light somehow remembered. Did Light feel something towards him back then? Maybe something happened between them that Santa's grief tore out of his mind, something else he has forgotten while he was mourning?

"You were strong and sensible, with good leadership qualities. You also were the only one close to my age, so it's natural that I would have been drawn to you", Snake continues, and Aoi can't hold back a sigh of relief. So that's what he meant by "liked". That he can deal with.

Snake seems to notice that sigh, because his expression turns much more gentle. He still seems sullen, exhausted, but there's a degree of familiarity, trust in how he adresses Aoi. "I also thought you must have been beautiful".

Aoi feels like running away. Aoi feels like throwing himself out of the window (if there were any). How the hell do you react to that? The next words come automatically, in disbelief, and once they do, Santa feels like stabbing himself. He keeps digging his own grave, continuing this conversation. This isn't at all what he was planning to do. He's going to fail. Those words come out strangled and uncertain, "You don't know what I look like".

"I would have liked to find out", and he motions Aoi closer. It's a lapse of judgement, another mistake in an unending series of them, another one that can doom everything, but Aoi obliges. Their shoulders almost touch, and Aoi can swear he can feel something crackling in the air between them, like electricity. It's tension, but what kind of, he can't figure out. And then Snake touches his face.

The first touch of Light's fingertips on his cheek is barely there, but Aoi still flinches, his pulse picking up until he's sure his frantic heartbeat can be heard through the whole facility. He orders himself to calm down, trying to even out his breathing, but Light's hands don't go away, they simply stall their motion until Aoi collects himself and then proceed with their movement. Light's touch is explorative, he traces out Aoi's features with careful fluid motions. He's "looking" at him, Aoi realises, trying to picture his face in his mind. The touch is so gentle, almost featherlight, like it doesn't even connect fully, but it's still so warm and comforting. Aoi thinks he could melt into it. He feels like a musical instrument, strings carefully caressed by the musician, he feels like clay under the hands of a talented sculptor, he feels like he could do this forever, just let Light do whatever he wants. Light's fingers carefully find their way into Santa's hair, gauging the length and the style of it and it tickles, but Aoi is too entranced to care. There's a pensive look on Light's face, like he's concentrating really hard to paint the full picture inside of his mind. His gentle touch goes along Aoi's cheekbones, to the tip of his nose, traces the curve of his lips, until finally Light is satisfied and withdraws his hands.

"You are beautiful, just as I thought".

His expression turns to that of surprise and pain, when Aoi jabs the needle of a syringe into his neck. He was supposed to get close, that was the plan. It was Akane's plan, to subject all these people to despair and torture, something so horrible that their entire minds would change enough to save someone from dying nine years ago.

It should be done and there is no going back.

There's a set of different clothes and a coffin in Akane's mind's eye. There are bombs and there are doors and there is the feeling of losing someone and wishing you didn't, and wanting to go to any lengths to get them back. There is no wondering how it could have been if you came to now each other under different circumstances, there's no doubt or remorse. There is no "like" or "love" too.

If he wants to fix it, he should forget everything that happened. Akane's plans do not account for emotions. At least not his feelings for Snake. And if Aoi fails, it's likely they both will die. There will be two vengeful siblings trying to take their loved ones back. If Aoi fails, he loses Akane, but Snake will die too, so he can not fail. He already caused too much misery as it is. Wo knows what'll happen to Clover if she loses her brother. The world won't have another Aoi. The world won't handle another Zero. Amd if he succedes, there won't be a need for another one.

All that is left is to shut the lid of the coffin. Aoi brushes a lock of gray hair out of the Light's eyes. He's sleeping soundly. They will never meet again.

**Author's Note:**

> I was absolutely mystified with how Light managed to explore everything on his own and be the most sensible out of the main 9. Like, the guy is blind. I guess that fic tied into this fascination with Light being some kind of a superhuman.  
> I remember the thing about his prosthetic hand, but nobody really noticed in-game it so it must be pretty convincing. And he'll go on to become a harpist, so it probably works just like a real hand too.
> 
> Also: whooops I forgot that Snake and Clover weren't supposed to say anything about participating before, but lucky Snake, Aoi is Zero and he's not gonna punish you. Because you're cute or something like that.


End file.
